Predator's Game
by NElaineR
Summary: Someone is playing a deadly game and Cal and Gillian are caught right in the middle.  Might prove to be a rough ride...  Epilogue up!
1. Chapter 1

**I've got another teaser going here. Interested? Should I continue?**

* * *

><p><em>He glided through the crowd with the grace and ease of a predator. Intensity and power emanated from him in waves causing people to unconsciously stay out of his path. Stopping suddenly when he saw his prey, a young man almost collided with him and immediately let out a sigh of relief when no contact was made.<em>

_ The man adjusted his face carefully before he approached the dark haired woman at the bar. His smile slid easily into what could be construed as charming. He was an outstanding actor. Foolish people made it so easy for him. She responded to him within minutes, tossing her hair and pushing it behind her ear. His voice had a lilt to it that women reacted to and he used it to his advantage. Someone he knew once told him that he could tell someone to go to hell in that voice of his and they'd smile and ask for directions. Giggling, she leaned into him. He could smell perfume, cigarettes and booze fused into a heinous stink that almost burned his nose. Hated it. She had no idea. Looping an arm around her waist, she placed her head against his shoulder. He laughed when she laughed, just mimicking her expressions and emotions and didn't really pay attention to her words. Buying her several drinks had her pitching against him more and more. It wouldn't be long._

_ "Would you like to go somewhere a little more private?" The charming smile stayed as he tilted his head to the side._

_ Giggling, she stood up too quickly and almost stumbled face first into a personal inspection of the floor. He caught her easily, arms locking around her. He was stronger than he looked._

_ They sifted through the crowd, out the door and into the cool October night._

**(BREAK)**

Cal opened his eyes to sunlight filtering in through the blinds and one hell of a hangover. He instantly blanketed an arm over his face to snuff out the brightness but that did nothing to diminish the jackhammer in his skull. Lying still for several minutes did nothing for him so he finally gave up and threw his legs over the side of the couch before running a hand over his face. He was wearing the same wrinkled clothing from the day before and his mouth tasted like scotch flavored cotton. .

A note propped next to a bottle of aspirin on the coffee table caught his attention.

Cal unfolded it, squinting because he didn't want to look for his glasses.

_Doesn't look like you can hold your liquor as well as you used to old man._

_ Must do this again sometime soon. _

_ Cheers._

_-Mason_

"Shit." Memories of the previous day and evening spilled into his head. _They'd gone to how many bars? _Lots. Quite a few women flickered in his mind's eye (Foster would kill him) and at least one fight to boot.

Allowing a groan that unfortunately vibrated through his pounding head, Cal decided that Mason was right. He was too old for this crap.

Getting to his feet rather precariously, he took the bottle of aspirin to the kitchen to toss back four before making his way to the staircase to head up for a shower and change of clothes.

His cell phone went off in his pocket half way up. With a grimace he pulled it out, checked the number, rolled his eyes and answered.

"What can I do for you Foster?"

There was a long pause. He unconsciously cringed.

"Cal, you sound terrible."

"Can you say that a little bit quieter luv?"

He could hear a sudden intake of breath on her end and could easily read her anger. "Cal, we have a meeting with Senator Brennen in an hour and you're _drunk_?"

"Not anymore darlin'. I'll be on my way in 15 minutes."

"Maybe we should reschedule."

"Nonsense, it won't be a problem. I'll even remember the Visine."

Another pause filled the space between them as she debated for several moments. She finally decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Just be careful."

"Course." He smiled at her concern, disconnected and headed for a quick shower.

**(BREAK)**

In his haste he almost missed the envelope sticking out from under the doormat. Leaning down, he grabbed it, frowning as he took it with him to the car.

_'Lightman'_ was typed on the front but there were no other identifying marks. He flipped it over just to make sure before ripping it open. One sheet of paper with only one line met his gaze.

**_'Are you seeing a pattern yet?'_**

_ What the hell?_

Still frowning, he glanced around him as if the delivery boy were just hiding behind the neighbor's hedges and would come forward any second to offer an explanation to his hazy hung over brain. When no such thing occurred, he decided to worry about it later and shoved it into his coat pocket.

**(BREAK)**

Gillian gave a low knock before entering his office.

"Hello darlin'." Cal gave her a grin from behind his desk. "What can I do you for?"

"Just wanted to drop these off." She tossed several files on his desk, which he looked down at with mild disgust.

"That it?"

"Also wanted to say that I was pretty impressed how you handled Brennan, even with a hangover."

"What can I say? I _am_ a professional."

She cocked an eyebrow at him as he grinned at her. "You're incorrigible."

"I know it luv."

Another knock at the door shifted Cal's gaze.

Anna stood in the entrance, appearing slightly uncomfortable as she always did. "Dr. Lightman? Um, this came for you. Well, actually it was on the desk when I got back from lunch." She stepped forward and handed him a small package.

"Thanks."

Anna gave a little nod and disappeared.

A typewritten 'Lightman' was the only mark on it. Just like the envelope from this morning. Frowning, Cal ripped it open.

"What's that?" Gillian stepped closer, her brow crinkled in puzzlement.

"Not sure luv."

A DVD slid out into his palm. The short typewritten note contained only one word. But for some reason, Cal felt a little cold.

**'_Enjoy.'_**

"Cal? Are you okay?" Gillian had come around to his side of the desk, one hand moving to rest on his shoulder. "Is there something going on?"

"I don't know." He fingered the clear case, thinking about the note from this morning. Making a quick decision, he pulled the DVD out and popped it into his computer.

There was a blue screen for several seconds before the recording kicked in and showed a couple kissing on a couch or futon. The man's back was to the camera, but he had short sandy hair and a lean build. The woman had dark hair and light eyes. She groaned as she pulled the man forward, pushing at his sports coat as she attempted to undress him. The man allowed her to remove his coat but shook his head when she seemed to reach for the front on his pants.

"Cal? What _is_ this?"

"Well, um, I'm not exactly sure…" The confusion in his voice was not an act.

Gillian's eyes narrowed as she watched.

The man shifted slightly, his profile partially coming into view but his features remained in shadows. A moment later, there was a flash of something shiny as the woman's eyes widened. A hand clamped over the woman's mouth when the silver object came near her throat. The recording ended.

"What the bloody hell?" Cal pushed back from his desk in horror as Gillian grabbed his arm with a gasp

The man's profile had been strangely familiar. It looked like Cal.


	2. Chapter 2

The date on the recording was from the previous day.

Cal sat stunned, mouth slightly ajar as Gillian popped out the DVD and placed it back in its case. He could see her hands shaking.

His mind went over the previous night, sifting through his memories for any clue but everything came back empty. He remembered the night but as far as he could recall he didn't actually _leave_ with anyone. Flirted and played, yes, anything else, no.

"Cal, you went out with Mason last night, right?" Gillian watched him intently. She did not believe what she saw on the recording. There were way too many shadows. It wasn't Cal. Someone who resembled him, yes, but not him. There was no way.

"Yeah, he was celebrating the whole professor thing at Georgetown…" He waved his hand.

"For the third time?" Gillian wasn't sure how she felt about Cal's old Oxford buddy. Cal didn't need any extra guidance when it came to getting in trouble.

"Uh, maybe?" Cal looked sheepish for just a moment before worry and anxiety pushed it away. He took out his phone, dialed and waited.

"'ello?"

"Mace, it's me."

"Cal? How're ya feelin' lad? You were a bit green 'round the gills last night." There was a short huff of laughter.

"I need you to answer me a question."

"You're soundin' all serious and that."

"Listen mate, was I with you the whole night? I mean to the point when you dumped me off on my couch?"

"What're you talkin' about?"

"Just do me the favor of answerin' my question. I didn't, um, leave with anyone else, did I?" Cal could sense Gillian staring as him and felt a slight flush come up from under his collar.

"Nah, nah, unless you caught a quickie in the washroom 'course."

Cal allowed a long breath to whoosh out from between his lips.

"What's this all about anyway?" Mason sat up a bit straighter on his end, concern leaking into his voice.

"Can't exactly say at the moment, but thanks for that."

"Sure lad, no issues."

Cal looked up at Gillian after he disconnected and gave a shrug. "Claims I was with him the whole time which is pretty much what I thought." The worry hadn't left his face though.

"Why would someone send you this?"

"It seems to complement a note that I got this morning, at least I think it does. Too much of a coincidence not to." He got up and crossed to the coat rack and pulled the crumbled note from the pocket, handing it to her.

Her eyes quickly scanned it, before looking up, perplexed. "This doesn't make any sense. What kind of pattern?"

Cal shook his head. "Guess it remains to be seen. I would venture to say the first step would be to find out who the woman is…or was."

**(BREAK)**

"Only thing I could find that might constitute some kind of pattern in the DC area are two missing women who are physically similar." Loker handed the reports to Cal, as Gillian perused over his shoulder. "They've both disappeared within the last week but missing person reports have just now been filed. If there are any more, we probably won't know for a couple of days. Police protocol of course."

"Thanks Eli." Gillian gave him strained smile.

"Sure." The younger man glanced at Lightman, noting the fatigue but seeing something else. Deciding to keep his honesty to himself, he nodded and slipped out.

Cal paged through, pausing at photos and stats. First one: Christine Akins, 38 years old, brunette, slim, pretty. Second one: Molly Thomas, 40 years old, brunette, slim, pretty. They both had blue eyes. He felt a clenching inside him, almost as if someone had grabbed his innards and twisted. Nausea set in but he thought he managed to hide it.

Gillian's face stayed neutral as her eyes took it the information. The only sign that she noticed anything was the slight pulse of her jaw.

Neither woman was the one from the DVD.

"I think we need to contact Ben."

Glancing up at her over his shoulder, Cal didn't initially say anything. The DVD had shaken him more than he cared to admit. _What if, somehow, it _was_ him? Mason had been pretty free with his drinking as well – what if he didn't even remember? But what would that mean? There had been fear on the woman's face. Had he been the one to put it there? And don't forget the knife…_

_ How could that be though? He was fighter, always had been but he wasn't a killer or whatever this guy was. Something completely different was going on. There had been a hint of sadism in the set of the man's jaw. Cal couldn't be sure, but he thought that he'd been _smiling_._

He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair, wishing everything were just a bad dream, knowing it wasn't, knowing that it would only get worse.

_There was no evidence the woman was dead. Didn't look very good though. Was there a connection with the other two? His instincts said yes._

"Cal?" Gillian leaned against the desk, one hand on his arm.

Dropping his eyes, he watched her fingers lightly caress him through his shirtsleeves. It was meant to be reassuring, he knew.

Clearing his throat, he pulled away slightly and her hand dropped. She appeared bemused by the action.

"Yeah luv?"

"I said I think we need to call Ben."

Twisting his mouth, he debated. "Gillian," He looked up, meeting her eyes. "What if it _is_ me?"

"It's not."

"How do you know?"

She moved closer and was validated when he didn't move away again. "Because I know _you_. I admit that there is a resemblance but that doesn't mean anything. Everyone has doppelgangers."

"That would be bloody convenient." He slumped a little further. "Gonna wait on notifying the bureau though."

"Is that a good idea? Why would you want to wait on that?"

"Guess I'd prefer to do a little digging ourselves first."

Doubt crossed her face as her lips thinned.

"Please Gil."

After a moment, she nodded. "For now."

"Thank you. I think at this moment it would be wise to contact the families of the missing women."

"Agreed." Gillian started to move away, intent on bringing Torres and heading out this afternoon.

A hand snaked out and caught her arm.

She turned as he caught her eye. The contact held, his eyes so intense that she felt her heart rate accelerate, face warming. His fingers almost burned where they touched her.

"Be careful darlin'."

**(BREAK)**

"Appearances aside, there's no connection between the two women that we could ascertain. Akins was divorced, no kids, medical assistant, quite the party goes since her divorce according to her sister. Went out to a club and never came back. Sister delayed reporting it because she had a tendency of disappearing with her dates, but 5 days seemed too long apparently. Thomas was the stereotypical soccer mom – 3 kids, married 17 years, dog, cat, fish and a very worried family."

"Is the husband suspected?"

"No. Took the kids out to a movie while the mom hit the spa with a gift certificate given her for her birthday. She never came home."

"Huh." Cal frowned, thinking.

She turned to leave, not surprised by his lack of gratitude.

"Torres?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you map out where they were last seen?"

"Sure."

"Thanks luv."

The slight raise of eyebrows in surprise did not escape his notice.

**(BREAK)**

"Looks like not only do we have a body but we have another missing persons report."

Cal was in the lab watching the DVD with what he hoped was more of a clinical eye. Loker stopped short, his eyes widening as he caught the figures in the recording.

"What do you see Loker?" He didn't bother to turn but caught the younger man's expression from his periphery.

"Um." He'd known about the DVD but hadn't seen it. "I see arousal on the woman. Man's body language is, um, well, he seems relaxed. They both might be drunk." Pausing, his mouth dropped open as the action shifted. "Fear. Looks like, uh, the man is enjoying her, uh, fear." Swallowing, he felt a little sick. Knowing what he knew made it even worse.

"Very articulate."

The comment was dry but tension ran off Lightman in almost palpable waves. "So, what do you have?"

"Another missing woman and Christine Akins turned up." He stopped there, his lunch rising up.

Lightman swiveled his chair. "Go on."

"It's not pretty."

"Death never is."

Loker placed both files in his hands and watched as Cal hesitated ever so briefly before opening the top one. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he absorbed what he saw. "Your contact have anything to add?"

"Just that they're sitting on it. Trying to keep the media from catching a whiff."

Cal shuffled the dead woman's file to the bottom before opening the other one. He felt a strangling sensation in the back of his throat.

It was the woman from the video.


	3. Chapter 3

The shadows were long and absorbing when Cal walked to his car. Everyone had long since departed the Lightman Group but he had stayed on despite Foster's pleas for him to just go home already. There _had_ to be something in those files or on that DVD to point him in the right direction. When everything started to blend and twist together, he figured that Gill was right. It was time to head out.

When the two figures converged on him, Cal's actions were purely instinctive. He kicked out, landing a boot solidly in one man's groin; immediately dropping him to the ground as a high pitched girly sounding whimper escaped pulled back lips. The other grabbed him from behind. This one was strong, so Cal threw himself backward against the car once, then twice before he felt the arms around him loosen. Spinning around he buried his fist upward under the ribcage. A pronounced 'huff' blew out and he started to crumple. Lightman's right hook helped him the rest of the way down.

Breathing hard, Cal leaned against the fender and attempted to gather himself. _What the hell was this? Didn't seem like a simple mugging._

Frowning, he pulled out his cell.

He didn't see the third shadow.

The first blow brought him to his knees as the phone flew out of his hand and skittered under the car. The second took him down and out, the side of his face pressed to the oily macadam, his hands splayed out on either side.

Moving out of the shadows, the man stuffed the blackjack in his coat pocket and stared at the other lying at his feet. Crouching down, tilting his head, he studied him intently. The resemblance was uncanny. He continued to watch, transfixed as a thin trickle of blood ran down from Lightman's brow.

The two other men slowly climbed to their feet, low oaths slipping out from beneath their tongues.

"And here I told _you_ not to hurt _him_ too badly." Amusement barely covered the flint-honed edge. "Instead he kicks _both_ of your arses."

"Could of warned us."

"Suspected that he might be hard to take down. Didn't know for sure. Now I do." Reaching out, he gently rolled Lightman onto his back and quickly procured his wallet and keys. Pocketing the wallet, he got to his feet and unlocked the back door of the car.

"Put him in."

The two younger men immediately leaned down, one getting Cal behind the knees, the other hooking him under the armpits. His head was allowed to bump against the macadam.

"Careful!" It came out in a hiss and both men looked at one another quickly. This guy unnerved both of them. They'd be happy when they were out of there, cash in pocket.

They managed to shove the unconscious man onto the floor behind the front seats, bending his knees to make him fit.

The third man popped the trunk. A blanket and tarp complemented the emergency kit. He quickly pulled them out.

He slid into the back seat, placing both items next to him. Removing his gloves, he pulled a small vial from his overcoat pocket and filled the accompanying syringe. Without hesitation he plunged the tiny needle into the side of Lightman's neck. "Night night."

Studying the man for just a moment longer, he pulled his eyes away. "Cover him up. But don't suffocate him." His tone was condescending.

They did as they were told, anxious for the night to end.

Before he closed the door, he pulled a photo out of his pocket. He didn't look at it, just tossed it down on the seat along with the borrowed keys.

Lightman would be out for several hours. _Plenty of time_.

**(BREAK)**

Gillian awoke to the incessant ringing of the phone in her ear. With a groan, she turned onto her side, blinking forcefully to clear her eyes. The clock glowed 1:07 back at her.

Frowning, she picked up the phone. Ice dropped into her stomach when she recognized the number. _Oh God_.

"Emily? What's wrong?" Any semblance of sleep was immediately erased from her head.

"I'm sorry Gill, I didn't mean to wake you. I just…" She trailed off, voice heavy with fear and anxiety.

"Don't worry about it honey. What's happened?"

"Um…dad never came home. He called me around 10:30 to let me know he was heading home but he hasn't shone up yet. That was _hours_ ago Gill - I keep trying his cell but it just keeps ringing before going to voicemail. I didn't know who else to call."

The ice threatened to course through her body, freezing her from the inside out. Cal was always ready to go out and play, that was a given, but he'd _never_ leave his daughter in the dark. She spoke carefully, not wanting to alarm the girl more than she already was. "Okay Em, let me make a couple of calls. Hang in there and I'll…"

"Could I maybe come over to your place?"

"What if your dad comes home?"

"I don't…I mean, I'll leave a note just in case. Mom's in Chicago and I just don't want to be alone right now."

Gillian blinked. "Sure sweetie, of course you can come over. Just be careful."

The girl was quiet for just a moment. "Thank you."

**(BREAK)**

Teddy Newcastle had two things currently in his head. Somehow tossing his pencil with enough force to imbed it in the ceiling and Amber Lee. He was hoping to conquer the first thing before he left work and the other shortly thereafter.

He gave a groan of annoyance when the phone buzzed. It was unusual for it to ring at this time. Probably his boss checking on him.

"Security." His tone was curt. Listening, he rolled his eyes and let his face go through a series of rude, indifferent expressions.

"Yes, ma'am, I'll check. What number can I get back to you at?" He scribbled it on a notepad, pulled the top sheet and shoved it in his pocket.

Teddy hung up and just sat there for a few minutes. He decided to check the video feed first, noting only three vehicles within the eyes of the cameras. Probably a few more than that, but not by much. It _was_ after one in the freakin' morning after all. Tapping a few keys on the computer, he opened up the list of registered vehicles and quickly found the make, model and plate number of the one he was looking for.

He was tempted to just let it go but there was something in the woman's voice that assured him that if he cut any corners, his ass would be run up the nearest flagpole.

Pushing himself away from the desk, he grabbed a flashlight and headed out into the garage.

The lights were dim, thus the flashlight but there was also a degree of creepiness when everything was so quiet. The flashlight had a lot of heft – one of those huge Maglites that took about 15 dozen batteries. He thought of it as self-protection since management didn't let them carry a sidearm.

His footsteps of his work shoes echoed through the structure, reminding him once again how alone he was.

The car model he was looking for was parked near the stairwell. The plates matched.

Teddy circumnavigated the car looking for…well, he didn't really know what he was looking for. He shone the light into the front seat, not noticing a thing. There was some junk in the back seat, mostly blankets and crap, but he didn't look too closely. He had Amber Lee on his mind.

He returned to the office quickly, unnerved as usual.

Guy probably had a hot date and was getting some action. Teddy hoped that he'd be as lucky.


	4. Chapter 4

Clean up had taken a bit longer than he had anticipated. Loose ends were always a hindrance but one couldn't be sloppy. Surprise had taken out the first boy but he'd had to stalk the rabbit. Always enjoyable, but the timing was unfortunate. But he was a firm believer in making lemonade out of lemons. He enjoyed what he did. He was quite good at it. The rabbit found that out. He firmly believed that patience made the predator. Just like in the wild, if the attack came too soon, the prey could very well get away and the hunter could starve. Not unlike a premature ejaculation. Not very satisfying.

The dark shading of the glass gave him a fair amount of shielding. He could watch the house from across the street with little fear, although instincts make him slink down in the driver's seat ever so slightly. It was late, but he should still have a good couple of hours to play. Everything he needed was in the trunk.

The house was dark. He figured he'd pull around the block and enter from the alley. No dog. No security. It was a safe area, so no one suspected. Biggest threat was a neighborhood watch sign, which made him smile.

His hand reached for the ignition when he saw a light go on in the back bedroom. Stilling, he narrowed his eyes. This wasn't good. He needed complete surprise with this one. She wasn't like the others. It wasn't a simple charm and snatch.

Watching for several more minutes, he inwardly debated. He'd so been looking forward to this one. He'd made special preparations and everything. With an inward sigh, he knew he couldn't pursue it, at least not tonight. Too dangerous. Turning the ignition, he put the car in gear and slowly pulled away, but not before giving the little house one more look of longing.

Oh well. He'd just have to find another playmate for tonight. A city this size was full of them. Especially at night. It was akin to picking up a large rock and observing all the creepy crawlies underneath.

Very disappointing, but plans change. He was nothing if not flexible.

**(BREAK) **

Darkness and warm heavy air enveloped him in a confined space. He could barely move, let alone stretch out, so Cal's first semi-lucid thought was that he'd been buried alive. This thought brought a wave of panic in its purest form coursing through every cell before logic took over. His nose brushed up against short nappy carpet, the crown of his head pushed up against hard plastic and he could feel a tiny current of cool air from behind his right shoulder. Awkwardly pushing himself up onto the car seat, he shrugged the blanket off, the tarp sliding off on its own. _What the fuck?_

His aching head seemed to be filled with thousands of buzzing, squirming insects. The noise was deafening. He brought his hands up in an attempt to stifle it, knowing it wouldn't do any good but not being able to help himself. Cal sat quietly, keeping his eyes closed and attempted to calm his breathing. His heart thudded heavily as sweat beaded on his forehead and dizziness swooped over him bringing nausea with it.

_Out of the car. Now._

He wrenched the door open and barely made it clear before emptying the contents of his stomach all over the ground. Fortunately he hadn't eaten much but his body dry heaved several times just to be sure.

Slumping against the back tire, he waited for the dizziness to pass. It was taking its good old sweet time.

Somewhere near him, he heard his phone. He must have dropped it when he was jumped. Following the sound, he went down on his belly and peered under the car. Squirming forward, he stretched out and was barely able to pull it toward him with one finger before palming it and wriggling back out. He rolled onto his back, not having the energy to sit up again.

"Foster." His throat felt scratchy and sore.

"Oh my God Cal! Where the hell are you?" Gillian's voice sounded panicked. He felt bad that he was responsible but at the same time, it warmed him that she cared so much.

"Slow down luv. Um, I…" He wasn't really sure what had happened, most muggers don't hide you in your own car. It was bizarre to say the least. "I could use your help if it's not asking to much. Not sure I should drive right now."

"What happened Cal? Where are you?"

"Mugged. In parking garage at work." Mugged wasn't quite right but it seemed easiest for the moment. For the first time it occurred to him that he should check for his wallet. He patted his pocket with his free hand. Gone.

Gillian felt her mouth tighten as anger built up, dwarfed only by worry. So much for security. "Are you hurt?"

He hesitated, started to answer no, but Gill had read into the little gap of silence.

"Okay, I'm calling 911 and Em and I will be there shortly."

"Em's with you?"

"Yes Cal. She's worried sick about you." He could hear her rushing around, the sound of keys, low murmurs and a door shutting.

"What time is it?"

"A little past three. Hang in there, we're on our way."

She disconnected and he immediately mourned the loss of contact. _3:00?_ That means he'd lost…over four hours. How was that possible? Someone had clipped him but that wouldn't have put him been out for that length of time. Must have been drugged. Unless he had some kind of brain damage of course. Didn't think so but knew many people who might argue the point. And why go to the trouble of tossing him in the back of the car? Let alone hiding him from view? A possibility started to seed itself in the back of his head, but his mind was much too muddled to analyze it too closely. Cal filed it away for future speculation.

Deciding it would be better not to scare Gill and Em any more than they already were, he begrudgingly pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the back seat of the car. He kept his feet planted on the macadam, just in case his stomach decided to rebel again.

**(BREAK)**

The rest of the night passed in a sea of blue and red lights, dozens of questions and an insisted trip to the hospital just 'to be sure.' Gillian and Emily were adamant and Cal was too tired to argue. Besides, he needed something from the hospital staff.

When he requested a toxicology screening, the nurse looked at him rather oddly but due to the circumstances surrounding his eventful night, the ER doctor went ahead and ordered one. As Cal's head slowly cleared, the possibility of being drugged made more and more sense. He also vaguely wondered if he'd be receiving another DVD in the near future. He expected that he would. The prospect of it made him feel sick again.

"Can I contact Ben already?"

They both knew that she wasn't actually asking his permission, she was just warning him of her intentions. "Wouldn't hurt to have his resources." It came out with a heavy sigh, as he looked her straight in the face.

Gillian sat with him in the ER. It was almost six in the morning and Emily had gone on a coffee run. They only had a few minutes.

Nodding, she gave him a worn smile. She wasn't wearing any make up, her eyes were tired with dark smudges beneath and her hair had been carelessly pulled back into a ponytail. Tilting his head, he stared unabashed. He still found her quite lovely.

Her brow furrowed slightly as she gazed at him curiously.

Cal answered with a smirk. He reached out, his fingers gently curling around her forearm. "Thanks for bailing me out as usual."

Eyes darting away momentarily, she stared past him, seemingly composing herself. When they returned to him, her tears had started to overflow. "When Emily called me I had such a feeling of dread. I can't even describe it." Her hand had moved to rest over his.

He smiled gently. "I'm sorry luv."

"This wasn't your fault."

"No, but apparently someone is really pissed off at me. That has to be my fault to some degree – I've made a hell of a lot of enemies over the years."

"You and me both. But this seems almost…more…personal. For lack of a better word, I guess."

Cal knew what she meant. It was almost like someone was playing a game. Unfortunately, he didn't know the rules. Not yet at least.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is kind of a dialogue driven chapter but I thought it necessary in my attempt to pull things together a bit. Some more action should be looming on the horizon though. Thanks for staying with me!**

* * *

><p>Gillian took the offered photo. It was an old black and white one of a family of three. A man with a woman holding an infant. Both adults were smiling. "What's this?"<p>

"Found it in the back of my car." His expression seemed guarded.

Her eyebrows rose. "And?"

"I've never seen it before." Cal leaned toward her, his shoulder brushing hers. He pointed with his index finger. "_That_," indicating the man in the photo, "is my father. _That_." He pointed to the blond woman, "is _not_ my mother."

Flipping it over, she noted the date. 4/17/1958. It predated Cal by a few years. Gillian found his eyes. Her words came out tentatively. "Then who is the child?"

"That's the million dollar question luv."

"Was your father married before?"

"Not that I know of. Of course he'd never been the most forthcoming with information."

_Like father like son_. She caught his eye. Cal stared back almost daring her to say it. She chose not to step into that potential minefield.

"Are you going to contact him?"

Cal rocked back on his heels slightly, frowning. "To be honest, I don't have any idea where the old bastard is. But there might be someone else I _could_ ask." He took the photo and lightly tossed it on his desk.

A subtle clearing of the throat had them both casting a glance toward the office door. Anna stood, another envelope in hand, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Um, sorry Dr. Lightman, Dr. Foster."

Mouth going dry, Cal stared down at her hand. He didn't move.

Gillian crossed over, taking the yellow envelope. "Did you see who left this?"

"No. It was actually delivered to the lawyers downstairs. They chalked it up to a mistake and one of the receptionists brought it up here."

"Did they see…?"

The woman shook her head, pushing back a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "They said that it was sitting on the front desk."

"Naturally."

"Sorry." She turned and quickly left Cal's office, almost bouncing off of Ben in the hallway. With a mumbled apology, she darted around him.

"So," Reynolds passed the threshold and closed the door behind him. "The Lightman Group apparently has some information concerning two murders and one missing woman. My question is why this info hasn't landed in the hands of the DC police." He shifted his gaze from one to the other.

"_Two_ murders?" Cal's voice sounded strained, even to him.

"Yes, two. Molly Thomas turned up this morning."

_The mother of three_. Cal felt nausea ripple through him. "Same killer?"

"Looks to be. Both bodies were - " Reynolds stopped for a moment, noting Foster pale slightly and quickly decided to skip descriptions. He had a feeling that they already knew. "Well, DC can be a dangerous place. Why is this case resonating so loudly for you anyway? What do you have?"

Cal caught Gillian's eye and gave a barely perceptible nod.

Foster cleared her throat. "Let's head to the lab. It would probably be best if we showed you."

**(BREAK)**

"Holy crap Lightman!" Ben stared at him after the first video. Cal stared back. "I see why you're sitting on it."

"Them, actually." Cal glanced over at Gillian. She still gripped the other envelope, her knuckles white. "Another one arrived just before you did. We obviously haven't been able to look at it." His tone said that he really didn't want to.

Ben looked back and forth between them with an exasperated sigh. "Has it occurred to you that we might want to check for prints?"

"There won't be any." Cal held his gaze steadily.

"How do you know?"

"I just do." He didn't elaborate. Cal had no solid reason to believe this, it was purely instinctive.

Annoyance playing in his features, Reynolds gave a nod. "Okay. Let's see the other one."

Hands shaking, Gillian ripped open the envelope, pulled out the DVD and almost dropped it.

Cal stood and gently took it from her hands. "S'okay luv." He popped it in and backed away almost as if it would detonate. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Gill, he felt her reach out and squeeze his hand, which he reciprocated.

The recording began similar to the last, only with a different location. The man's back was always to the camera and he never revealed more than a shadowed profile. This one went further though. The glint of a blade brought terror and blood. But not death. That was left to the imagination. Everything went black a moment later.

With a gasp, Gillian looked away, eyes wide.

No one spoke for several long moments before Ben finally broke the silence. "What do you think is going on? Apart for the obvious, I mean."

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Cal spoke quietly. "Something else happened recently that couldn't be coincidental." He recounted the mugging. "We're still waiting for the toxicology report. They assured me that since it's not part of an autopsy, it shouldn't take too long."

"I have to admit that that that's pretty strange. Why would someone bother to hide you in the back of the car?"

"There were at least three of them. Two I was able to handle – I think they were just kids. Probably hired. The ones who I didn't get a chance to see were the business end. Someone wanted me out of sight for a while." He paused for just a moment, feeling a little foolish. "Without an alibi." He'd been thinking about this for a while and it was the only thing that made sense. _It felt like a fucking movie of the week._

"They took your wallet."

"Yeah."

"And you expect that it'll show up, possibly at a dump spot."

"I'm presuming."

Ben squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Why would someone go to that much trouble? I mean, I _know_ you're not the most popular person on the planet but have there been any recent threats?"

"No. Possibly just one from the past though." Cal's voice was just a whisper as his mind drifted to the photo.

"Excuse me?"

Lost in thought, Cal didn't answer.

"There was a photo left in the back of his car from the other night. It would appear that whoever is responsible seems to almost be…taunting him with it." Gillian watched Cal. His eyes still focused somewhere else.

"Not a photo of one of the victims?"

"No." Cal finally looked up. "Old family photo. Of my dad with a _different _family." He moved away. "Look, let me see what I can find out on the personal front. See if anyone actually around during that time is willing to cough up anything."

**(BREAK)**

His uncle was basically someone on the Christmas card list…and Emily took care of that. Cal hadn't actually spoken to the man in several years.

He glanced at the clock. It would be almost eight there. Should be home and hopefully done with supper. Not wanted to deal with the possibility of a dropped call, he chose to use his office landline.

The other end rang only twice before a gruff cockney accent picked up. "'Ello?"

"Hello Charlie." Charles Lightman was his uncle - John Lightman's younger brother by about 7 years. He would have been a teenager around the time the photo was taken.

A deep silence settled at the other end, then, "Is this my wayward nephew?" The tone was outwardly dry but Cal was relieved to hear an underlying pleasure.

"Aye. That would be me."

The old man chuckled. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I couldn't be calling to see how things were?"

"You _could_ Cal, but I find it unlikely. You've never been the gabbing type." There was a sudden intake of breath. "_Is everything okay_?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Emily and I are fine, but I do have a couple of questions that I was hoping you could answer for me."

"If I can."

There was no way to ask other than to come right out with it. "Was my dad married before? I mean, before my mum?"

Nothing.

"Charlie?"

"Why are you askin'?" He sounded almost suspicious.

Cal figured that he was just being protective of his brother. "I recently came across a photo of him with another woman and a child."

Another long pause. "Was the woman blond?"

"Yes."

The old man let out a sigh. "That would be Mary."

"Mary…?"

"Long time ago Cal. Water under the bridge, so to speak."

"This is kind of important. You need to tell me what you know." Not realizing he was gripping the receiver as tightly as he was, he attempted to relax. Was only marginally successful. "Please."

"Look, your father was young. He made some bad choices."

_Some?_ Cal didn't comment.

"Mary was the prettiest little thing. All of nineteen years old." His voice had taken on the hazy hue of memories. "She adored John but well, John being John, couldn't handle being tied down."

Cal grunted, jaw clenching. "What about the child?"

"I'm not comfortable dredging this up."

"I'm sorry, but don't you think I have a right to know?"

"I…I guess you do. It's not a happy story."

"I figured as much."

Everything all of a sudden came out in a rush, almost as if he were trying to get it away from him. Like it tainted him to be too close. "After John left, Mary dropped herself in the Thames. As for Ian, I honestly don't know. John didn't pursue him, didn't want to be a father. Never said anything either way. I'd always presumed the boy went with his maternal family."

"Ian." He felt numb.

"Yes, Cal." Charlie's voice caught ever so slightly but quickly deepened as he disguised the momentary weakness. "Ian Harris. _Your older brother_."


	6. Chapter 6

Gillian knocked quietly before pushing the door in. His office was darkening as the sun slowly set, the only light coming from his back room.

Cal had disappeared abruptly from the lab leaving her to see Ben out and answer any questions that she possibly could, which wasn't a whole lot. Reynolds was less than pleased with the situation to say the least, but he wasn't Gillian's priority.

The sliding door was open and she brought her hand up to rap lightly on the doorjamb but stopped herself.

The room was almost palpable with anger. Only one light was lit and it threw half of Cal's face into shadows. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he downed his drink.

A coldness swept through Gillian as fear clutched at her heart. A man's face, very much like Cal's floated up from behind her mind's eye. The flash of a sharp blade. A woman's struggles and tears.

Taking an involuntary step back, Gillian watched as Cal looked up, anger still contorting his features. At that moment, Gill turned and fled, heart thumping painfully in panic.

"Foster!"

Cal was on his feet in an instant. He caught her arm before she reached the office door but quickly released it when he felt her shrink from his touch. Splaying his fingers, he moved his hands out to his sides in a show of surrender. He dared not approach her. "Gillian?" His voice and eyes were heavy with hurt.

_What in the world was she thinking?_ This was Cal. Her best friend for years. He would _never_ physically hurt her. Her response had been instinctive, the DVD much too fresh in her mind. Instantly tears flooded her eyes. "I'm so sorry Cal!"

He stayed where he was. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Wiping away her tears with the heel of her hand, she broke into a nervous smile. "I guess I'm just a little jumpy."

"It's understandable, considering." Seeing Gillian Foster terrified of him for that fleeting moment was akin to getting kicked in the chest by a horse. He was surprised that his voice came out sounding as even as it did. Stepping to the side, he nodded to the back room. "Drink?"

Obviously still disturbed, Gillian desperately tried to shake it off and was only moderately successful. A brandy or scotch sounded _really_ good right now. "Sure."

He let her go before him but didn't place his hand at the small of her back as he normally would. "Has everyone headed home?"

Gillian kicked off her shoes before folding herself into the corner of his couch with a nod. "Eli had one thing he wanted to finish but he's probably gone now." Her voice still trembled slightly.

Grabbing another glass, he stood awkwardly, not really sure where to put himself. Normally he'd just flop down next to her but he'd already scared the hell out of her once tonight.

"It's okay Cal. Have a seat."

Perching on the edge of the couch, he poured some scotch into her glass before refilling his own.

"Hospital got back to me."

"Did they find anything?" She sipped her drink before leaning forward to catch his eye.

"Um, yeah, a trace amount of some kind of anesthetic. Apparently runs through the body quickly. If I'd had a tox screen later, it wouldn't have shown up."

"Did you let Ben know?"

"Yeah. Thought it would be in my best interests just in case…" He trailed off, thoughts moving back into dark places. Emptying his glass swiftly, he sunk back into the cushions. "Found out a few things."

His phone broke the quiet and they both jumped. Pulling it out, he glanced at it quickly. "Just a second, luv."

"Mason."

There was a pause at the other end. "Bad time Cal?"

"A bit. What did you need?"

"Um, well, just thinking you might want to join me. Have a couple of co-eds who enjoy the mature, scholarly type." His voice was steeped in innuendo.

Despite everything, Cal couldn't help but smile. "Guess that leaves you out, eh?"

"Very funny. Thought you might be interested."

Cal's eyes traced the contours of Gillian's face. She was chewing on her lip, staring off into space, unaware of his scrutiny. "Don't think so mate. Have too much on my plate."

"All work and no play…"

"Yep."

"Okay, your loss. I will send your regards to the lovely ladies."  
>"You do that." He disconnected, feeling vaguely dirty. <em>Co-eds?<em> Mason's taste and his taste ran different directions. It was becoming more and more apparent.

Cal was quiet, gathering his thoughts. Mason had a way of distracting the crap out of him.

"You spoke with someone from home?"

In one fell swoop everything fell on him once again. His mind felt disconnected. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe not enough alcohol. He poured himself a refill. "I did." Took a sip of his scotch before tossing it back. "Yep. I had a chat with my uncle whom I haven't spoken to in several years. Told me stuff that was 'water under the bridge.' – to quote him. Always hated that saying."

"I gather he knows who the woman and child are."

He reached for the bottle again. Gillian wondered how full it was initially. Not much left now. He seemed lucid enough but not for long at this rate.

"Seems my dad is a bigger wanker than _I_ even thought. Seems like he has a history of fathering kids he didn't want and then…then…driving their mothers to suicide."

Gillian stared at him, eyes wide, mouth sagging slightly. There was no surprise in the child being John Lightman's, but as for the baby's mother…_oh my God_. "I'm so sorry Cal."

Another drink. "Not your fault is it darlin'?" His tone was edged with bitterness.

She was almost afraid to ask. "Does he know what happened to the child?"

"You mean my brother Ian? Hasn't a clue. Thinks he went to live with his maternal family. Either way, big brother is alive and well and apparently blaming me for the sins of the father."

"You're assuming."

"Bloody good assumption don't you think?" His voice was slurring. "Ian Harris. That's his name. Mum was Mary. Young lass my dad knocked up and tossed aside. Sound familiar?" He drained his current glass.

"Why after all this time?"

"Now _that_ is a good question!" Cal went to reach for the bottle, but faltered when he noticed that there were only a couple of drops at the bottom. He glanced toward his liquor cabinet.

"Do you think that that's a good idea Cal?" Gillian's voice was very soft.

He stared at her for several long moments, his focus wavering slightly before a sigh escaped his lips. "Probably not luv."

"How about some food and lots of coffee?" She tried for a smile. "My treat?"

"A date Foster?" One eyebrow twitched upward.

"Sure Cal. Whatever you say." She was up on her feet, holding her hands out to him. A gentle smile touched her eyes.

Taking her hands, he pushed himself up as she pulled. As a result he almost knocked her over. Gill clutched his forearms as he quickly grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him. They stood chest to chest gazing at one another.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" He hadn't released her yet.

"You're drunk."

"I'm not. Well, maybe a little buzzed."

"Mmhm."

Cal tilted his head to the side, sensing a slight change in the atmosphere. "Do you think I need alcohol to be able to tell you that?"

Feeling warmth spread across her face, she became conscious of the solid feel of his body against hers and the muscles of his arms under her hands. Gillian took a step back as he released her and quickly averted her eyes. Her heart was pounding but for an entirely different reason this time. There had been a tiny glint of hunger in his eyes.

Cal cleared his throat, trying to move past the awkward moment. "Where to darlin'? Since I'm a little toasted, I gather you're driving?"

**(BREAK)**

They chose a local café for a light dinner and proceeded to talk about everything other than the obvious. Conversation was relaxed and pleasant and they found themselves detaching from some of the darkness that was threatening on the horizon. With all his faults, Gillian sometimes forgot how funny and charming Cal could be when he actually tried and time slipped away. She startled when she looked at her watch. "Cal? Is Emily expecting you home?"

"Nah luv. She is currently with her mum." He leaned back, giving her an easy grin. "She agreed to go to Chicago for a few days as long as she gets to spend Halloween down here. Apparently has some big plans."

Gillian took a small bite of her cheesecake. His gaze dropped to her lips as she slowly pulled the fork out from between them. "So, what are you going to be for Halloween Cal?"

He was too busy looking at her mouth. "Sorry?"

"Halloween. Is Emily making you dress up?"

"You know I'm the same thing every year darlin'. Can't get much scarier."  
>"What? Being Cal Lightman?"<p>

"You know it. Effective costume – kids always run screaming."

She rolled her eyes and he gave her another grin. "Are you feeling better Cal?"

"You mean, am I sober?"

Shrugging, she just looked at him.

"Yeah, luv. Twelve cups of coffee will do that. Only problem is that I now have to pee like a racehorse. If you'll excuse me…" Cal tossed his napkin on the table and headed toward the men's room. At least he seemed to be walking in a straighter line now.

Finishing up her cake, she took a sip of coffee and allowed her mind to drift.

"Pardon me miss? Is this seat taken?" A pleasant voice floated down to her.

Gillian looked up with a smile, ready to apologize and send the man on his way but her voice caught in her throat as her eyes turned upward. A familiar face, but yet at the same time, a very different one stared down at her. She couldn't catch her breath as ice water trickled into her veins. Sudden fear had her heart pounding loudly in her ears. There was no way this _couldn't _be Cal's brother.


	7. Chapter 7

He gave her a bright smile that didn't even come close to his eyes. It was closer to an animal bearing its teeth than anything associated with mirth.

"Hello Gillian." The man smoothly moved into the space Cal vacated just moments ago.

Gillian couldn't find any words, stark terror temporarily striking her mute. She just stared at him, eyes wide.

"Why so scared?" Ian Harris' features were similar to his brother's, but his eyes were a cold ice blue, almost mirror-like. He cocked his head to the side, appraising her. Not unlike Cal. "Interesting. Separated by decades but we still have the same taste in women."

Photos of victims flashed through Gillian's mind. Different backgrounds but all sharing the same basic physical traits: slim, brunette, and blue-eyed. She wrestled to compartmentalize her fear, not wanting to give him any kind of satisfaction.

Apparently, she was at least moderately successful, for he frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"What do you want?" Finding her voice, it came out stronger than she had hoped.

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe I'd like to catch up with my long lost brother. Sounds like he's done quite well for himself." His accent sounded a little different from Cal's. "Maybe I'd just like to experience this side of the Atlantic – haven't been here all that long you know."

"Long enough."

He leaned forward, showing teeth again. "You think so?"

She looked back at him coolly, clenching her hands in her lap to keep from shaking. "You tell me."

"Ah, games. That's right, you're a shrink."

"I think it best you get the hell away from her mate." A pair of strong hands grasped him by the overcoat and roughly pulled him off the chair into the aisle. There were several shocked gasps from surrounding tables.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cal could see the restaurant manager making a beeline for them, but he couldn't care less. Rage shook through him as he glared down at the other man.

"Well, that's not very brotherly." Ian climbed to his feet. He stood a couple of inches above Cal but was lankier. People usually underestimated him because of it. Didn't expect Lightman would though. "I'm thinking by this time you've already done your research."

"I have." Cal's voice was arctic.

"Quite the scoundrel our old man was."

"Indeed." His brow furrowed at Harris' use of past tense. _Was_. Did he know something that Cal didn't?

He moved forward, expression still filled with anger, causing the other man to take a step back. All Cal wanted was to position himself between this psychopath and Gillian.

"Is everything alright here?" The manager appeared next to them. "Do I need to call the police?"

"I don't know. Gillian, does he need to call the police?" Cal spoke without taking his eyes off the Harris.

"That won't be necessary." Ian straightened his coat. "It was nice to see both of you. I'm sure we'll talk later." Smirking, he turned heel and headed out the door.

Cal stood stock still for only a second before following. He was dimly aware of Gillian making a grab for his hand but she wasn't fast enough to take a firm hold. Her soft voice in the form of his name drifted up to him but he didn't pay any attention.

Brushing past the surly manager, he exited the restaurant, eyes combing the night, breath pluming out before him. The air had begun to carry a chilling bite but he took no notice.

"I'm right here brother."

Cal swung around to find Ian Harris leaning against the wall a few feet away from the door. He lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply and blew it out in cloud. "You're curious about me."

Narrowing his eyes, Cal kept his distance. "What did you mean when you said our father _was_ a scoundrel?"

"Was. Hmm. I guess I did use past tense didn't I? Are you concerned?"

"Curious would be a better word."

Taking another drag, his face remained impassive. "I found him actually at one of those assisted living centers. When I walked up to him, he thought I was you." He smiled his wooden smile but a pained burn found his eyes. "You see him lately?"

Cal gave a tiny headshake. "Been years."

"Any particular reason?"

"What do _you_ think?"

Blowing out more smoke, he gave a little cough. "I wouldn't know, would I?" Dropping the butt, he ground it under his shoe. "Just a name until recently. He was about what I expected. You were a bit of a surprise though."

"Why's that?"

Ian ignored the question. "Yeah, here I am walking toward this withered old man. Apparently he's had several strokes if you're interested. But he looks up at me with a big old smile and say 'Caleb, you've finally come home.' When I told him I wasn't you, well, I'm pretty sure that's when he lost control of his bowels. Didn't really know how to take that." He tapped out another cigarette, offered the pack to Cal who just continued to stare at him. With a shrug, he stuck it back in his overcoat pocket and pulled out his lighter. "Probably just his deteriorating body but, still, the timing was interesting."

"Why are you here now?"

Coughing, he shrugged again. "Like I was tellin' your lady friend. Thought I'd explore this side of the pond for a bit. Haven't been as lucky as you. Never been to the states."

"You and I both know there's more to it than that."

Ian straightened and took a step forward, blowing out another cloud of smoke. Cal's eyes burned slightly but he didn't move. "What more could there be, brother?"

"Why don't you tell me?" He intently stared up into the other man's face, reading what he could.

"Sometimes things are _exactly _as they seem. But then again, maybe not. I'll be seeing you around Caleb, or I guess you just go by Cal? Can't say I blame you." He turned up his collar against the wind and started to walk away. Pausing, he turned. "By the way, our old man is still alive. As far as I know, that is." He headed north, flagged a cab and was gone.

Cal continued to stand in the cold, his mind jumbled.

A soft touch on his hand startled him. He swung around quickly.

Gillian stood, eyes wide with concern. "What happened? Are you alright?" She'd hovered just inside the door watching fearfully, clutching her phone the whole time.

"Um, yeah darling." His teeth were starting to chatter and for the first time, he became aware of the cold night. It had stealthily crept into his bones while he'd been distracted. "You have my - ?"

Without answering, she handed him his overcoat.

"Thanks luv." He swung it over his shoulders but it did nothing to dispel the chill. "What did he say to you before I got back to the table?"

They started to walk back to her car and had only moved a couple of feet before he hooked an arm around her waist, bringing her closer. She didn't balk.

"Um, not too much. Didn't have much of a chance. There was one thing though…" Her voice had dropped and when Cal glanced at her, she seemed to have paled slightly.

He didn't push. They reached her car and by unspoken agreement, he took her keys. His sobriety was no longer in question. Turning the heater on full blast, it did little to push back the inner cold. Cal headed back to his place and Gillian made no comment.

During the drive home, Cal carefully watched the rearview mirror. He didn't really expect that they'd be followed but as a precaution, he made several sharp turns, looped around twice and purposely passed a police station before turning into his driveway and pulling into the garage. He felt slightly foolish, but it was a fact that Harris had followed them to the café and he didn't want to take any chances. His own personal confusion aside, there was no doubt in his mind that the man was dangerous.

Engaging all the locks behind them, Cal pulled off his coat and headed toward the kitchen. "Tea darlin'?" He stopped and looked at her. "Or some hot cocoa?"

"Um, cocoa would be nice. Thank you."

"You bet luv."

Gillian still hadn't removed her own coat, her chill permeating more from the inside than the outside. She trailed into the kitchen while he put the water up and sat on one of the bar stools. His proximity was comforting.

A few minutes later, he placed her warm drink in front of her and sat down with his own. She smiled, noting that he'd added two marshmallows to her cocoa. Few people would have known to do that.

"You never finished." His face became very serious, his eyes boring into hers. "What did he say to you?"

"Just that he wanted to explore the states, maybe get to know you, but he also said, um, he said that you both…" She frowned into her drink before looking back up, eyes fearful. "He said that you both shared similar taste in women."

"Christ."

"Why would he flaunt himself like that? Is he _that_ confident that he hasn't made any mistakes?"

"He hasn't yet, but I'm not sure if it's even about that now."

"What do you mean?"

Cal dropped his head onto his hand. "I'm not sure. I just get the feeling that he's _tired_ for lack of a better way to put it."

"Tired? You don't think he's just going to stop?"

"Not at all. What does your training tell you?"

"He's fulfilling a need."

"One that can never be completely satiated."

"Yes. It would be like an unreachable itch for him. Pure sociopath."

Nodding, his mouth set into a hard line. "I think we need to find if there are any unsolved murders in London with the same M.O. and also check for a rap sheet on him. In the meantime, how do you feel about my guest bedroom?"

She immediately opened her mouth to protest before shutting it again, inwardly debating. "Do you think that's necessary?"

Cal looked troubled which propelled her inner chill to merge with her bones once again. "I don't know darlin'. I just…" He gave her a half smile. "How about just humoring an old friend?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Just a shorty chapter to keep things moving. Hope y'all are enjoying. :-)**

* * *

><p>There was so much going on in his face and eyes, more than she dared contemplate but foremost was fear. He was terrified. But not for himself. <em>For her.<em>

"What do you say?" Cal smirked and attempted to lighten the mood. "I promise I'll be good."

"Somehow I doubt that."

He blinked and looked at her innocently.

_Who was she kidding?_ There was no way she wanted to be alone. Just the memory of those flat mirror-like eyes was enough to send a tremor running right through her.

When Gillian nodded, relief washed over him, loosening the tight knot inside ever so slightly.

**(BREAK)**

Gillian followed Cal into his study and watched as he opened his safe and retrieved two of his handguns. Going down on one knee, he pulled out a couple boxes of bullets and proceeded to load both weapons.

Guns made her nervous. They always had, but Cal's expert handling was somehow comforting. Her only issue is what she suspected would come next.

"Do you remember how to handle one of these?" He looked over his shoulder, face deadly serious.

Cal had taken her to a range many months ago and had taught her how to shoot, gun safety and the whole nine yards. She remembered what do but she also remembered how empowering it had felt and that had scared her. A range was one thing, but when it came down to possibly using it on another human being…

A shudder ran through her body and it wasn't lost on Cal. He got to his feet, placing both guns on a side table and turned to face her. His hands curled around her shoulders before gently trailing his fingers up and down her upper arms. "I'm sorry darlin'. I just need to make sure you stay safe. I also need to make sure that you can defend yourself if for some reason…I can't." His eyes held hers and she watched as they darkened. He stepped away, quickly averting his gaze and proceeded to shut and lock the safe.

"I remember Cal." She watched his movements, feeling slightly warm. It sure beat the fearful chill that had permeated most of evening.

Nodding, he still didn't look at her, his face tense. "I'll, um, set up the guest room for you." He temporarily pushed one pistol in the waistband of his jeans at the small of his back and held on to the other as he crossed out of the study, heading up the stairs. He walked into the guest room and placed the gun in the drawer of the nightstand before catching her eye. Gillian nodded her understanding.

Pulling fresh sheets from the linen closet, he quickly replaced the sheets on the bed. "It's been a while since someone's stayed in here."  
>He left for a moment and returned with one of his t-shirts, holding it out to her. "Thought you could use something to sleep in."<p>

"Thank you."

"Of course luv." He turned to leave but her quiet voice stilled him.

"Cal?"

When he faced her, she stepped toward him, moving a hand up to his cheek. "None of this is your fault. I hope you know that."

His breathing turned slightly shallow, very aware of her warmth. She was _so_ close. "I know. Just feels like it."

Attempting to pull him out of his downward spiral, she gave him a grin and a tap on the cheek. "Hey, it's still early. You want to watch a movie or something?"

He flicked an eyebrow upward. "Or something?"

**(BREAK)**

"I can't believe I'm doing this!"

"Oh come on Foster, you're a child of the seventies and eighties. This should be second nature!"

"You're making me sound older than I am. It's not like I hung out at those places in the 70's – I was just a little kid!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. You're enjoying it anyway. I see how you're gripping it."

"It's hard not to, but my palms are sweating!" She ran one hand across the sofa cushion to illustrate her point.  
>"Comes with the territory luv." He gave her a quick leer. "At least they're not hairy!"<p>

"Very funny, Cal! You're just trying to distract me."

"Is it working?"

"Not yet."

"I can think of other distractions."

"Cal!"

They were playing Pinball on Emily's Xbox 360. It was one of the few things he played, not having the patience for longer more complex games. It didn't take long for Gillian to get sucked in as well.

She lost her ball and then it was Cal's turn. He was good, almost machine-like and it wasn't long before she was scowling at him. Out of his peripheral vision, he caught her giving him the hairy eyeball. "What?"

"You know _what_!" Without missing a beat, she leaned over and gently blew in his ear.

He startled and lost his ball. "Hey!"

"Serves you right." Gill gave him a smug look.

"_Really_?" He dropped the controller and quickly found the tickle spot on her neck. Squealing with laughter, she wiggled sideways but couldn't escape his persistent fingers. Cal followed her, going for her ribcage now as she pushed at him, weak and gasping. "Say UNCLE!"

She started to shake her head, but quickly changed her mind. "FINE! UNCLE!"

Gillian was almost horizontal on the couch, with Cal leaning over her. He stopped, gazing down at her as she fought to catch her breath, face flushed, eyes streaming. Unconsciously, he glanced down at her mouth and licked his lips.

"Cal…" She caught his hungry expression and started to feel herself respond to it before coming to her senses and gently pushing him away.

He sat up quickly but smoothly threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him and pressing his lips against her temple. A wide grin split his features when he realized that her blouse was gaping and from his vantage point he was able to catch a nice view. She caught him before raising one eyebrow in disapproval and quickly adjusted her top. There was the curve of a smile touching her lips as she turned away from him, reddening. He gave her a rueful smile.

"Sorry luv." He wasn't particularly and knew she could read it in his voice.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" She still wasn't looking at him.

"I'm trying. I really am." With one hand, he gently turned her face back toward him. His eyes touched every part. "But you are blushing big time darlin'." Cal ran his fingers over her jawline, before cupping her cheek in his palm and stroking her soft skin with his thumb. "You know I meant what I said in the library, yeah?"

"I know you did Cal." Gill raised a hand and gently brushed through his hair, scraping his scalp lightly. He closed his eyes at the contact, stifling a low moan.

A loud rapping at the door had them both on their feet. All warmth ran from Cal's face as his impassive mask firmly set itself in place. Gillian stared wide-eyed. "Who'd be here at this time…?" She obviously feared the worst.

"Wouldn't think he'd knock."

Nonetheless, he waved her toward the staircase and grabbed his gun from beside the lamp. He switched the safety off.

She backed away only a few steps, reluctant to leave him.


	9. Chapter 9

Eyes intently locked on hers, Cal jerked his head toward the staircase, expression almost angry.

Gillian took another step backward before reluctantly climbing the steps and hovering on the landing, just out of sight.

Cal approached the door, holding his body sideways. He couldn't help but feel a little foolish knowing that Harris would hardly knock, but his instincts were on hard alert, honed like the blade of a knife. At this point, Cal was not taking any chances. He looked through the peephole before letting out a gust of air half in relief, half in annoyance. _Bloody hell._

He opened the door to find Mason leaning against the doorjamb, inebriated, bottle in hand.

"What are you _doing_ here?" Cal glanced past him before grabbing him by the collar and pulling him into the entry.

"Just stopping by to see my mate. Took a chance that you'd be home." He glanced around the room, dark eyes noting a woman's purse on the coffee table. "Oh. Did I interrupt somethin'?" His glance then fell to Cal's hand. "Uh, Cal?"  
>"Mason?"<p>

"Why do you have a gun in your hand?"

Cal stared back, eyes slightly narrowed. "It's been a rough week."

"Apparently."

"You realize that it's close to midnight, yeah?"

The man wavered slightly. "Uh, I suppose I do. Sorry 'bout that. I guess you're not alone?" A loopy grin found his face. "Is _Dr. Foster_ here?"

"_That_ is none of your business."

"I see." He held up the bottle. "Thought we could split this but being the decent bloke that I am, I could leave it for you and your lady friend. Of course, all three of us could share it." Mason's eyebrows headed for his hairline as a smirk twisted his features.

"Do you need a cab?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"It would probably be best." Cal's voice had lowered.

Mason walked deeper into the room before turning back to Cal. "Is there something going on that I could help with? I mean, I don't do what you do but I'm not an idiot either."

"Never said you were."

"You're making me a bit nervous with that gun mate."

"I have good reason." Cal reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Need this?"

"No, I don't." He didn't seem as drunk any more. Just irritated. "I guess I'll be heading out." Mason strode to the front door before whirling on Cal. "I expect an explanation after…whatever this is…is over." He gave a wave of his hand.

"Fair enough." Cal followed, gun still pointed at floor, intent on locking the door behind Mason.

"Oh. One more thing."

"What's that?"

"Have you heard from Harris?"

"_What?"_

Cal barely had time to register what was said before Mason brought the bottle up and smacked him aside the head with it. The blow knocked him against the wall of the entry where he crumpled into a heap, several photos falling down on and around him.

**(BREAK)**

Gillian had been listening from upstairs, purposely not showing herself. From the conversation below she knew Cal wanted to keep her presence from Mason. She figured that he was just being cautious.

When she heard the crash, a gasp escaped before she could stop it. Fighting the impulse to go to Cal, she turned and rushed to the guest room.

**(BREAK)**

He unlocked the door and allowed the other man to enter.

"I am so impressed. I really expected the glass to shatter." Mason looked down at the bottle. "Good thing. I really wanted to drink it, but you know how it goes. Sometimes one must improvise."

Ian Harris didn't comment, quickly shutting the door behind him and looking down at his brother. "Dead?"

"Doubt it."

Crouching down, Ian he laid two fingers against Cal's neck and shook his head. "No. Probably only have a few minutes." He took the gun and put it in his pocket.

"We would have had a lot more time if things had gone correctly before, but shit happens, as Americans seem fond of saying."

"Is the girl here?"

"I'm sure of it. Secure him. I'm going to go hunting." Mason gave a playful but cold smile.

Ian stared after him before looking down again. With a sigh, he grabbed Cal under the arms and dragged him into the living room.

**(BREAK)**

_Why the hell did she leave her purse downstairs?_ No purse meant no phone and no mace. She had darted into the extra bedroom, pulling the drawer of the nightstand open. Gun in hand; she switched off the safety before turning off the lights, hoping to keep some semblance of advantage. Her heart was thumping with such ferocity that it was almost painful. _Was this what it was like to be scared to death?_ Gillian stepped back and concealed herself in the closet. She knew they were looking for her but they didn't know she was armed. It was imperative that she keep the element of surprise. She tried not to think of Cal, but emitted a soft sob regardless. _Oh God_.

**(BREAK)**

Cal opened his eyes with a start, immediately struggling against his bonds. He was lying next to the coffee table, arms twisted behind him, ankles bound.

"How's your head?" The voice held no emotion or curiosity.

Rolling onto his back, Cal surveyed his brother sitting on the couch from an upside down perspective before kicking the coffee table violently. "What the hell do you want already?" Cal teeth were gritted, his lips bloodless. "Is this just for fucking fun?"

"You have quite a temper." Once again, Ian was matter of fact.

"_Where's Gillian_?"

Shrug. "I'm sure he'll find her."

Cal closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart. Giving up quickly, he thrashed some more, ropes chafing his wrists painfully, and kicked the coffee table several more times.

"I hope that wasn't expensive."

"Shut up."

They stared at one another, eyes locked, Cal breathing heavily, Ian nonplussed.

"You intrigue me." Ian tilted his head, showing curiosity for the first time. "It's probable that you'll die tonight."

Cal continued to meet the other man's eyes, trying not to react.

"And you look a bit scared, as you should. But not for yourself. For her." He moved forward but not close enough for Cal to head butt him. " I find that interesting. It's hard for me to imagine caring that much for someone else."

"Not in your nature."

Ian leaned back. "Probably not. I sometimes wonder if I would have had a bond with my mother, had she lived, but the point's moot I suppose."

"Probably wouldn't have mattered."

A smile crossed his face. "So brother, do you think people can be born bad?"

Cal strained to hear anything from up stairs but it was deadly quiet. _What was going on? Please let her be okay._

"I'm sure when he finds her we'll _all_ know. Anyway, you didn't answer my question."

He struggled to keep the tremor out of his voice. "I think some people have a better shot at normalcy than others but at the same time we all make our choices, yeah?"

"Hmmm. Maybe. What would Dr. Foster say on the subject? Is she a proponent of nature or nurture?"

Cal bared his teeth and Ian laughed.

**(BREAK)**

Gillian could hear Mason's low taunting but tried her damndest not to take the bait.

"I know you're up here. I can practically _smell _you. You know Cal's gonna need you when he wakes up." Low chuckle. "If he wakes up. Not sure how that's gonna go, I mean, with Harris babysitting and all."

She squeezed her eyes shut. Quickly opened them. The stairwell light was on and she imagined that the master bedroom light was now on too. The guest room was next in his path if he didn't hang a right into the bathroom. She suspected that she was going to have to make a decision very quickly and she had no clue what kind of weapons Mason had on him. Did he have Cal's gun? Gillian expected as much.

The door to the room creaked slightly as it was pushed open.

From her position she could see his silhouette against the light of the hallway. She instantly regretted not turning the lamp on, fearful that she'd be temporarily blinded when he flipped the switch. _Nothing she could do about it now_.

"Gillian? Sweetheart, I'm gonna find you. It would make it a lot easier on all of us, _especially_ Cal, if you'd just come on out." The light came on and she immediately squinted against the sudden ache in her eyes.

Mason carried a long bladed hunting knife. He held it in front of him as he quickly scanned the guest bathroom before whirling around and heading for the closet, a self-satisfied little smile on his lips.

Calm down. Deep breathes. _What do they say about taking a knife to a gunfight or taking a gun to a knife fight? _Her brain seemed fuzzy, almost like her panic was deadening things, making her more vulnerable. _Was that the way it was supposed to happen?_

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the closet before he got too close. The grin stayed fixed to his face, but worry flitted when his eyes fell to her sidearm. He obviously hadn't been expecting that.

"Back away now!"

He held up his hands, knife still clenched in his right fist. "There you are. Always lovely. No wonder Cal's got a thing for you." Mason hadn't taken a step back. "That's quite a large gun you have for such a little person."

"You do realize that he taught me how to use this and he's a _very_ good teacher." The double innuendo wasn't lost on her or on him either as his smile broadened."

"I imagine he is." His voice was soft.

"Drop the knife. _Now_."

"Don't think so sweetheart. Makes me feel safe." He took a step forward. "You're shaking you know."

"Stop there." He was right, she _was_ shaking but at this distance and the gun heavy enough to absorb much of the recoil, she was confident she could still shoot him. If she could bring herself to pull the trigger, that is.

"Okay." He was within ten feet of her.

"I'd like to ask you something."  
>"Of course."<p>

"Why?"

"What? Why you? Or why anyone?"

Gillian felt herself whiten and didn't respond.

"Cal's such an arrogant bastard don't you think?" The smile still hadn't wavered. "But it's not really about that. It's more about who I am. Who Ian is."

"And who is that?"

"I guess you could call us 'Natural born predators.' We do enjoy thinning the heard but the wonderful game is not to get caught. That's the big thing. Wolves will gnaw off their own foot to escape a trap and we're not much different. The game must continue."

"Were you responsible for Cal's… mugging?"

"Well, it really wasn't a mugging as you both probably figured out. We just had some lovely plans and thought it would be fun if Cal took the fall. Alas, it was not meant to happen at that point but we're nothing if not versatile."

While he chatted, he 'd moved another foot closer.

"I told you to stop."

"You really think you're strong enough to extinguish another human life?" He took another step as she felt another waver run through her. The gun shook badly.

"For a woman you have a lot of courage. I take my hat off to you but to take a life, that takes a special kind of person. Ian, myself, even Cal. Peas in a pod."

"Cal's nothing like you."

"Isn't he?" He shook his head slowly, clearly believing her naïve before going back to his taunts. "Do you have any idea what kind of damage a bullet does?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Gillian tried so hard to keep her voice strong.

"I wouldn't have guessed that. You seem so…well, it would appear that Cal tends to put you up on a bit of a pedestal. Does his best to protect you."

He had edged even closer.

"He tries but isn't always successful." Gillian leveled the gun at Mason's chest. He immediately stopped. "I told you to drop the knife."

"I guess you did and I believe I responded in the negative."

Mason took a step closer. Her gun continued to shake even as she tried desperately to keep it steady with both hands.

* * *

><p><strong>Anyone nervous? ;-)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

When the sound of the gunshot echoed down the stairwell, Cal felt his heart almost stop. "Gillian!" He renewed his efforts to loosen his bonds.

Harris stood, looking up at the ceiling as if it were glass and he could peer right through. Glancing down at the struggling man on the floor, he gave him a well-placed kick to the head. The steel tipped boot had the desired effect. Cal stilled, suddenly seeing in shades of gray. "You need to stop that little brother."

Ian sat back down. "Huh. Do you think one of us just lost a partner?"

"Bastard." The word was a whisper as Cal feebly clung to consciousness.

"Shall we lay a wager?" Harris reached down and grabbed the other man's shoulder. Lightman's head lolled, eyes closed, mouth slightly open. He was out. "Oh. Never mind." Harris released his hold.

It was still quiet upstairs. Ian was starting to be glad that Cal wasn't conscious for the bet. He himself would probably have lost. The woman, no doubt, had Mason's phone and was currently calling the cops.

Now. How did he want things to end?

Reaching into his inner pocket, Ian pulled out his little Spyderco. It was his detail knife. That's how he thought of it at least. It had never been used on a man before. He preferred women. Their skin was so soft and smooth. Blood seemed to run so much more freely.

Pushing from the couch, he kneeled by Cal. He thumbed the blade out. It was well oiled and came out easily.

**(BREAK)**

Gillian stood trembling and gasping, the gun still firmly in her hands. She had thought she'd heard Cal yell her name but she couldn't be sure. It could have just been in her head.

Mason lie a couple of yards away from her, his face a mask of shock as his last few heartbeats pushed precious blood out of the gaping wound.

She approached tentatively before kicking the knife away. It landed under the bed somewhere. "You son of a bitch. He trusted you!" Her voice was a low hiss.

Mason continued to stare up at her for several more seconds. His mouth moved, almost like he was trying to speak to her. His eyes then went blank.

Brushing tears against her shoulder, she kept the gun trained on him with one hand and searched his pockets with the other. She attempted to avoid his blood, but wasn't very successful. Gillian found his phone and almost stumbled backward in her haste to get away from the body.

She was shaking so badly that it took three attempts to call 911.

**(BREAK)**

"Get up."

Through his haze, he could feel Harris roughly pulling him upright. He also became vaguely aware that his hands and feet were free. All he could feel at that particular moment was puzzlement. A strong arm crossed in front of him, fingers digging into his side in their attempt to keep him standing.

He blinked slowly before his strength began to flow back into his body.

"Awake now?

"Bastard."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Cal felt something cold against his throat. He didn't need any imagination to figure what it was.

"I could be cliché and tell you to call for Gillian but I'm not going to bother. You'll just say no."

"You think?"

Ian ignored him. "Gillian? I know you can hear me honey. Cal's in a…an unenviable position and I need you to come on down."

"Foster. Do not do as he - "

Ian moved his knife hand up and with the flick of his wrist, gave Cal an inch long furrow across his left cheek just below his eye. "Naughty. Next one will pop your eye out like a grape."

Cal grunted but clenched his teeth in anger.

"This is what I want you to do Gillian. I want you to throw your gun down the stairs. But please make sure the safety's on. Wouldn't want anything unfortunate to occur."

"The police are on their way!" Gillian's voice was strong as it floated down to them. Cal smirked, feeling some inadvertent pride.

"Oh, I'm sure they are. But the question is: What will they find when they get here? One body? I guess that goes without saying, but will there be another one or will there actually be two more?"

Gillian stood on the top stair, gun down against her leg, debating.

Making her decision, she descended the staircase.

"I thought I asked you to throw the gun down." Harris' voice was almost pleasant and Gill felt another tremor of fear pass through her.

"You did and I decided not to." She was now on the first level but didn't come any closer.

Cal looked battered. An ugly bruise was beginning to form near his temple and blood ran freely from a cut on his cheek but his eyes were sharp. He gave her a tiny nod.

"I see. Well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I'll make due. As Mason had no doubt informed you, we tend to be flexible. I wanted you to be the one brother, but Dr. Foster will work."

At those words, Cal felt the grip on him loosen, the knife moving away from his throat. A strong hand gave him a shove and he stumbled toward Gillian before whirling around and facing the other man.

Harris' face was completely blank. He still held the knife but reached into his pocket and pulled out the other gun before proceeding to drop it and kick it toward Cal. "Okay, the stage has been set. Lets get on with it."

Cal leaned down and picked up his weapon, frowning in confusion. He cast a quick look at Gill. Her expression mirrored his own.

"I'm waiting Dr. Foster."

Sirens could be heard in the distance now.

"Not a lot of time."

Gillian was shaking again. "_What are you talking about_?"

"You both realize that I won't stop. I _can't_ stop."

_Fatigue_. Cal had picked up on it earlier tonight. Harris was done. He wanted out. He wanted the game to be over.

"Cal?" Gillian glanced over at him, completely unnerved. She was close to breaking.

"Look, I'll try to make it easy for you." Harris caught and held Cal's eye, silently communicating. Cal started to shake his head but the other man moved quickly. The serrated edge of the knife glimmered wickedly in the light as he darted toward Gillian.

Cal was the one to do it. Not acting on reason only instinct, his gun swung upward and he squeezed the trigger. Just once.

Harris fell sideways into the end table, knocking it and the lamp atop it down with him. They could hear him gasping but he remained still.

Cal approached cautiously. As he passed Gillian, she reached out and lightly touched his arm.

The knife had flown out of his hand at the bullet's impact. Harris lay on his side, face waxen, eyes wide. He smiled as Cal crouched down next to him. "I'm glad it was you. I think Dr. Foster's spent, don't you?"

The man's breathing was erratic and labored. Blood coated his lips but he reached a hand toward Cal. For everything that could have or should have been, Cal allowed him to take his own. The man's grasp was very weak but his stare was intense. He kept eye contact even as the police flanked them. Then, like a light being switched off, he was gone, the hand limply sliding from Cal's.

Cal stared down at his brother for many long moments, wondering about him, wondering about himself. Nature or nurture?

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder before climbing to his feet and immediately folded Gillian into his arms. She clung to him, grabbing at his shirt, face wet against his chest. They continued to stand together as emergency personnel moved and squeezed around them.

**(BREAK)**

By the time the house was cleared, the early morning sun had started to make its appearance.

They sat on the couch, Gillian leaning her head against Cal's shoulder. Neither said a word. Both had entered that grainy state of awareness that comes with no sleep for close to 24 hours, although adrenaline was now waning.

"Gill?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why don't you sleep in Emily's room? I know she wouldn't mind."

Gillian stirred slightly, mumbling something almost incoherently.

"What was that luv?" Cal leaned down to catch her words.

"Don't want to be alone right now."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Me neither."

Without another word, he stood and pulled her up next to him. She walked with him willingly, arms around his waist. They climbed the stairs, Cal pausing long enough to pull the guest room door shut, before heading to the master bedroom.

She crossed to the bed as he went to the dresser to pull out another t-shirt for her, figuring that the dress she still wore was probably not the most comfortable thing to sleep in. When he turned, Gillian had already passed out, breathing softly. Cal's eyes hovered on her face before gliding down the rest of her. _He loved her so much_.

Tossing the shirt back in the drawer, he kicked off his boots and crawled onto the bed next to her. She nestled against his side automatically as he put an arm around her.

He had killed for her tonight and as he gently pushed her hair behind one ear, he knew that he could do it again. Without hesitation.

On the other hand, Gillian had also taken a life tonight. She had had no choice but he couldn't help but worry how it might affect her in the weeks ahead. He could only hope that she would turn to him if she needed to.

Tightening his arms around her, Cal fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**I suppose this could be considered the denouement at this point (or was that the LAST chapter? Oh well. Close enough). I hope everyone enjoyed this little thriller. Thanks for ALL the comments and reviews. It really makes writing these things even more fun. **

* * *

><p>Gillian awoke in the early afternoon to a strong arm protectively curled around her. She shifted ever so slightly to peer up into Cal's sleeping face. His jaw was slack and his breathing slow and regular.<p>

_Ian, myself, even Cal. Peas in a pod._

She recalled Mason's cruel taunting but knew, without a doubt, that he was wrong. When Cal had pulled that trigger, killing Ian, his face had been calm but beneath the surface there was a storm of fear, doubt and sadness. He was a man doing what needed to be done. Nothing more. Not unlike what she had been forced to do, just with a lot more control.

The night seemed almost surreal now, but she knew, as soon as she stepped out of this bedroom, she'd see the closed door to the guest room and her memory at what happened there would come out and bite her. If she went downstairs, she'd note the overturned coffee table and blood stains, where hours earlier there had been another body. The body of Cal's older brother.

She wondered how Cal would be in the aftermath. Strong probably, at least outwardly so. He always was. He'd toss back some scotch, give her a lazy grin and tell her: "I'm fine darlin'," and that would be it. But how could that be? He'd killed his own brother.

With some careful maneuvering, she wriggled out from under Cal's arm. He mumbled something unintelligible but didn't awaken. Utter exhaustion. Gill's eyes found his face again, wincing at the awful bruising now so obvious in the light of day. A streak of blood soaked through the cotton gauze taped to his face but it didn't look fresh. She felt herself soften as she gazed at him before pulling away. Part of her wanted to go home, get away from this house but felt ambivalent. There were so many happy memories in here as well. She didn't really want to leave him, feeling a strong draw to stay near, even more so now.

"How're you doing darling?" His accent was low and thick, voice gravelly from deep sleep. He gazed at her from half closed eyes.

"I…um…" How was she? Confused? Fearful? How about numb? "I… honestly don't know what to do with myself." She offered a small smile, but her face seemed stricken, eyes a little too bright.

Cal scooted off the bed, went to her and immediately wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry about all this," he whispered into her hair.

She pushed her face into his neck, smelling sweat and lingering aftershave, before closing her eyes, temporarily finding a tiny bit of serenity.

"We can put this behind us. It might take some time, but it'll be okay." His breath tickled her ear, raising gooseflesh along her arms and causing a shiver to run through her. It seemed an odd response to all the horror that had surrounded them and she wasn't completely sure what to make of it.

Pressing his lips against her hairline, he moved down, kissing her forehead, and cheek before leaning in and ever so gently kissing her mouth. His lips were soft and loving and just when she started to return it, he pulled back, eyes surprised. "I guess I shouldn't have done that."

Wordlessly, she shook her head. Her eyes never left his. "It's okay." She finally managed, voice hushed, color rising in her cheeks.

He looked down, feeling an unfamiliar flush cross his own features. "Uh, I guess since you played designated driver last night, we'll be carpooling today. I do need to make some calls – can't have Emily walking in on…" Cal caught her eye again before his gaze flitting past her shoulder to the far wall, his words trailing off. "Well, you know."

"I know." Reaching out, she took his hand. "You can make those calls from my place. I'd like to go."

"I understand. Just let me grab a shower and - "

"No, bring some clothes. You can use mine."

Cal stared at her for several moments before nodding. "Okay, luv."

**(BREAK)**

After he'd showered and dressed he found Gillian curled on the couch. She hadn't changed, still only in a robe, wet hair hanging down in tendrils, expression distant. Vulnerability radiated out from her in waves and he felt his heart tighten in response.

"You want to take some time darlin'?" Cal approached but didn't sit. After his lapse earlier, he wasn't sure if he could trust himself. The last thing Gillian needed was him behaving like a love sick teenager. "I'll call Loker and have him come get me. I did have that taxi service clause added to his contract for a reason."

A little smile crossed her lips, but it was gone just a quickly. "Mason said you were just like him and Ian."

Anger tightened the muscles in his face. Cal hadn't given Mason a whole lot of thought – was purposely trying not to.

"He apparently thought I was being naïve."

Swallowing, his voice came out raspy and low. His mouth felt dry all of a sudden, fear swelling around him. "And what do _you_ think Gill?"

She was quiet for several moments before meeting his eyes. "I _know_ he was wrong." Her response was measured, thoughtful. "You skirt the edges sometimes but just because you do what you feel needs to be done doesn't make you _like_ them. Your motives are never selfish." A teasing smile played in her eyes. "Unless it's about women of course, then the line gets a little blurry."

He felt frozen as doubt coursed through him. _Was she right?_ He had a tendency to be cruel and hard sometimes. How many times had he hurt her by stomping on her feelings as if they didn't matter? It was never something he means to have happen but it happens nonetheless. He could be such a miserable prick sometimes. Was she purposely sidestepping that fact?

"Cal, sit down."

As he hesitated, she reached up, grabbed his arm and used her leverage to pull him down next to her. She then shifted to face him. "I know you have a lot going on inside. I can only just imagine how you feel right now. What I don't want you to do though is blame yourself for any of this. You are _nothing_ like Ian. He chose his own path and despite your own questionable upbringing, you're not capable of choosing that same path. As much of a pain in the ass as you can be, you are a _good man_."

"Sometimes I wonder." It came out as more of a sigh than actually words.

"Don't." She lightly touched his cheek with her fingertips, gently coaxing him to meet her eyes. "You are infuriating, stubborn, abrasive, and quite intolerable at times…"

"Well, luv. Don't hold back or anything." He pulled away from her touch, slightly hurt.

She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "You are also loyal, passionate, steadfast in your beliefs, a wonderful father and also a wonderful friend when you're not being incorrigible." Gillian gave him a genuine smile while he watched her bemused.

"Um, that's quite a list."

"You think so? I could go on." The smile hadn't wavered.

"No no, that's okay." He ran a hand through his damp hair. "Seems you've just insulted the hell outta me for the most part, so why is it that I'm not feeling like shit?"

Scooting a little closer, she rested one hand on his leg and cupped the side of his face once again. "Because you're a very complex man and I couldn't imagine you any other way."

He felt warmth rush through him as his face softened and gave her a lopsided grin. "So, you find me interesting." Cal ran his hand down her arm.

"Maybe a little."

"Just a little?" He leaned over, pausing just a moment before he brushed her lips with his ever so softly.

A delicate sigh escaped her as she smiled into the kiss. There was no way to know how long it would last but for now, she found peace within the strength of his embrace.


	12. Chapter 12

**This is just a little snippet of an epilogue. I apologize for its short length but I feel that it helps tie up a few loose ends but also might offer a transition into the new story "Cold Front."**

* * *

><p>The autumn had moved into winter when Cal decided to visit the grave of his brother. He felt drawn like a moth to the light, trying to understand. Trying to make sense of the monster linked to him by blood.<p>

He'd chosen to pay for cremation and a simple stone instead of leaving disposal to the authorities. Maybe it was for the young girl that John Lightman had used and tossed aside. Maybe it was for what could have been. Probably both.

Crouching down, he ran his fingers over the inscription.

_Ian Roderick Harris_

_ Jan. 4, 1958 – Oct. 17, 2010_

_ "Here Lies One Whose Name was writ in Water."_

Cal had borrowed from Keats. The epitaph just seemed fitting. The man was never meant to be. Sadness hung heavy within him whenever he came to that realization. It happened often.

Rocking back on his heels, he gave the stone one more look before climbing to his feet.

A soft step behind him alerted him to her presence. Gentle arms wrapped around his middle as she rested her head against the back of his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, luv. I am." He turned into her embrace and pulled her closer to him. They stood together for several moments, neither speaking. Before long, he pressed his lips against her brow and moved away, taking her hand. "Well then, guess we have some things to do, yeah?"

Gillian's eyes were filled with warmth. "Yes we do."

Still holding hands they walked across the lawn toward the car. The grass crunched and snapped under their feet, the once tender sprouts having succumbed to the lower than normal temperatures currently plaguing the east coast.

Life was so delicate and so fleeting. They had so many things to do before time ran out.

At the top of the list was ring shopping.


End file.
